Vehicle.



793,075. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J. T. HOVIS.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 21, 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l1 I l l 1 l l l v',

PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J. T. HOVIS.

VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 21, 1904,

UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

JOHN T. HOVIS, OF OLNTONVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,075, dated June 27,1905. Application filed October 2l, 1904. Serial No. 229,482.

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Hovrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clintonville, in the county of Venango and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a ne\Y and useful Vehicle, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

.My invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to conveyanceshaving' arched bodies; and the object is to provide runninggear having'a minimum number of springs for directly supporting the arch of thebody.

Another object of the invention is to employ torsion-springsconstituting braces which coact with the main springs to prevent thesides of the body from sagging.

A further object is to utilize one of the springs of the vehicle forholding' the parts of the fifth-wheel in proper relation.

lfVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of anarched vehiclebody which is reinforced by an inverted yoke to which aresecured the ends of longitudinally-extending' springs. One of thesesprings is secured directly to the rear axle of the vehicle, while theother spring is mounted upon the fifth-wheel and serves to securetogether the members thereof. Torsion-springs are connected with therear axle and fifth-wheel, respectively, and are so connected to thebody as to coact with the main springs to prevent the lateral tilting'of the vehicle-body.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying'drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure l is a bottom plan View of the vehicle. Fig. 2is a central vertical longitudinal section therethrough. Fig'. 3 is atransverse section through one of the couplings of the rear brace. Fig.4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig'. 3. Fig'. 5 is ascetional detailtaken on the line 5 5 in Fig'. l. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken onthe line 6 6 in Fig. l.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, l is the body of theVehicle, having an arch 2, to which is fastened an inverted yoke 3, theends of which are provided with longitudinally-grooved feet i and 5,respectively. Bolted or otherwise secured within the groove of foot 5 isa longitudinally-extending spring' (i, the rear end 0f which is clampedbetween holding-plates 7, which are secured to the center of the rearaxle S of the vehicle by means of a clip 9. This axle 8 is preferablybowed, and secured upon it adjacent the hubs l0 of the vehicle-wheels l1are base-plates 12, having' dovetail grooves 13 in their upper faces.These grooves receive dovetail extensions 14, formed at the bottom ofears l5, which are rigidly secured in position within the grooves 13 bymeans of screws lb' or other suitable holding' devices. The outer end ofeach ear l5 is curved, as shown at 17, and fits within and forms abearing for a block 18. This block is retained in place by a yoke 19,which straddles the ear and is pivoted upon a bolt or pin Q() extending'therethrough. The adjoining faces of the yoke and block are recessed, asat 2l and 22, for the reception of a head 23, formed at one end of aZ-shaped torsion-spring' 2i. Two of these springs are used, theirintermediate parts .25 being connected with the under side of thevehicle-body by means of clips 26, while their adjacent ends are firmlyconnected with eachother and with the yoke 3 by means of clips 26h.

The lower circle or member 27 of the fifthwheel of the vehicle isfastened to the forward axle Q8 in the ordinary manner, as by means ofclips 29, and a centrally-disposed stud 30 extends upward there from andforms the pivot of the upper member 3l of the fifth-wheel. Aretaining-block 32 is bolted or otherwise secured upon the `frontportion of member 31, and a similar retaining-block 33 is suitablysecured on the member 3l at the rear thereof. Extending between theseblocks 32 and 33 and the fifth-wheel member 3l is a spring 34, one endof which is bolted or otherwise fastened within the foot et of the yoke3, while its other end is hooked, as shown at 35, and projects under thelower member 2T of the fifth-wheel, thereby holding the front portionsof said members in proper relation. A flanged block or clip 36 ismounted on the IOO spring 34 in rear of the fifthwheel,and formed uponsaid clip is a retaining-plate 37, which is held in position by means ofthe set-screw and which engages under the rear portion of thefifth-wheel. That portion of the spring 34 which is located upon thefifth-wheel is bowed or arched, as shown at 39.

Couplings 40, similar in construction to those used for securingtorsion-springs 24, are arranged upon the member 3l of the fifth- Wheelat diametrically opposite points, said couplings being connected by anarch-bar 40h, and secured within themare the ends of a substantiallyU-shaped torsion-brace 42, the intermediate portion 43 of which extendsthrough and is adapted to work within straps '44, secured to the body 1.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that by reason of-thenovel disposition of the springs 6 and 34 and the yoke 3 the arch of thevehicle-body is directly supported by the axles, and therefore injuryto' said arched portion as a result of undue strain thereon is obviated.Moreover, by the employment of the torsion-springs and braces at theends of the body the centrally-disposed longitudinally-extending springswill support the body and prevent it from sagging laterally. Byprojecting spring 34 over the fifthwheel and shaping it to engagethe-forward portion thereof the number of parts constituting therunning-gear is greatly reduced, and at the same time the members of theiifthwheel are held in proper relation at `all times.

I attach importance to the peculiar construction of the couplingsemployed for fastening the torsion-springs and braces with the axle andthe fifth-wheel of the vehicle. It will be seen that the wear is mostlyupon the blocks 18 and the ears 15, which can be readily detached andnew ones substituted. To replace the parts of the coupling, it is merelynecessary to remove the bolts 2O and the screws 16. The ears 15 can thenbe slid from the grooves 13 and the yokes 19 raised from blocks 18. Newears and blocks can be quickly substituted and replaced by reversing theabove-operation.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention, but I do not limit myself` thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right tomake such changes as clearly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. In arunning-gear for vehicles, the combination with an arched vehicle-body,of a rigid yoke accommodated within the arch of the body,oppositely-extending springs secured to the ends of the yoke, and meansfor securing said springs to an axle and the fifthwheel of a vehicle,respectively.

2. The combination ofapair of axles, aiifthwheel mounted upon one ofsaidaxles, an arched vehicle-body, a rigid yoke seated in the arch ofthe body, oppositely-extending springs secured to the ends of the yoke,one of said springs being connected to an axle, and means connected withthe other spring for holding the members ofv the'fth-wheel in properrelation.

3. The combination of an arched vehiclebody, a body-supporting yokeseated in the arch of the body, and springs connecting said yoke withthe axles.

4. -In a running-gear for vehicles, the combination with axles, and afifth-Wheel secured upon one of the `axles, ofva rigid yoke,oppositely-projecting springs secured to the yoke and to the fifth-wheeland one of the axles,

respectively, and means connected to the fifthwheel and one of the axles=for preventing lateral sagging of'a vehicle-bodyfupon the gear.

5. rIhe combination with a vehicle-body, of a rigid yoke securedthereto,a `front anda rear axle, a fifthwheel, centrally -disposedoppositely-extending springs secured Yto the yoke and to the fth-wheelandA rear =axle,lre spectively, and meansfconnectedto-the body and saidwheel-'and 'axle lfor preventing the body from sagginglaterally.

6. The combination with an arched vehic-lebody, axles and a fifth-wheel;of a rigid yoke secured Within the larch of ythe body,centrally-disposed oppositely-extending springs secured to the4 yoke andto thefifth-wheelfand rear axle, respectively, means vupon one of thesprings for holding-the iifth-wheel'together, and torsion-springs forsupporting the body against lateral tilting.

7 -The combination-with an arched vehiclebody, axles, and` afifth-wheel, of a rigid yoke secured within the arch of the body,resilient supports connecting the yoke with the rear axle andfifth-wheel, torsion-springs connecting the body with said axle andwheel, and pivoted wear-blocks detachably supporting the ends of saidtorsion-springs.

8. The combination with a spring-supported vehicle-body and axlestherefor, of Vdetachable members mounted upon theaxles, a wearblockslidably bearing upon each of said members, vtorsion-springs connectedwith the body, and means for securing the `ends of lsaid springs uponthe wear-blocks.

9. In a running-gear for vehicles, the combination with the "axles, anda fifth -w-heel mounted upon the front'axle, of -a rigid yoke, a springconnecting said yokewith the rear axle, a hooked spring extending fromthe yoke and secured upon the fifth-wheel, the hook of said springoverlapping andengaging one portion of the fifth-wheel, anda retainingplate detachably secured Aupon -the spring and engaging the oppositeportionof said wheel.

IOO

l0. The Combination with an arched ve- In testimony that I claim theforegoing as hide-body, of a centrally-disposed longitudimy own I havehereto affixed my signature in nel body-supporting sp1-ing deviceincluding the presence of two Witnesses. a rigid body-supporting yokeengaging the JOHN T. HOVIS. ziioh of the Vehicle-body, and Springmembers I/Vitnesses: connected with and extending from said yoke S. E.MCKEE,

and supported upon the axles. n M. L. MCKEE.

